94 TRAVEL+LEISURE | JUNE 2020
A lioness takes
shelter in Akagera.
Lions were
reintroduced in
2015; today, 40 of
the animals live in
the park.The lobby of
Magashi Camp,
the first luxury
property to open
in Akagera.amazed by how optimistic and secure the country seemed, considering it was only
in 1994 that an unimaginable 1 million Tutsi were massacred by the Hutu majority,
leaving the nation’s infrastructure, economy, and society in tatters.
Now that sense of optimism was everywhere I looked. I was on a high-end safari,
swaddled in every comfort—from the top-of-the-range 4 x 4 to the “Dior pink”
mosquito netting in my sleek private tent at Magashi. And I was on the road with
Micato Safaris, the family-run outfitter whose meticulous attention to detail has
earned it a reputation as the gold standard in safari tourism.
Magashi was the first of a trio of plush new properties on my itinerary, each in
very different national parks. “In the past, people only thought of gorillas,” said Anita
Umutoni, 31, manager of Magashi, which is the second Rwandan lodge from luxury
outfitter Wilderness Safaris. “Now that’s changed. We also have chimps, rain forest,
big game, volcanoes—and people can see it all in a few days.”
It’s true that until very recently, most
visitors to Rwanda would fly into the
capital, Kigali, zoom up in a helicopter or
car to Volcanoes National Park to see its
legendary mountain gorillas, then fly off
to view the Big Five in Tanzania or Kenya.
But, just as the country has defied all
expectations with its miraculous rebirth,
social innovation, and economic
development, now there is a new set of
goals: to offer travelers a rounded
experience, one that goes far beyond
primates, and to attract the visitors who
give back the most.
Back at Magashi after my memorable
morning safari, I sat in the shade of an
albizia tree and sipped tree-tomato juice
(which tastes like a mix of papaya and
kiwi) with Umutoni. When I arrived the
previous day, I immediately had the
feeling we’d met before. It turned out I
had interviewed her nine years ago, when
she was studying hospitality in Kigali.
Back then Umutoni had told me,
“My dream is to contribute something
important to my country.” Today she is a
seasoned pro running a flagship camp
for one of the biggest names in eco-
tourism. As we looked on, a trio of
elephants splashed in the shoals of Lake
Rwanyakizinga. “Our energy comes
from a real desire to build our country—
and build it ourselves,” she said.
That effort doesn’t always come
without a cost. Rwanda’s progress has
been overseen by former rebel general
Paul Kagame, who has been president
since 1999. He has emerged as one of the
world’s most disciplined and ambitious
leaders, presiding over Rwanda’s
transformation from an agrarian economy
to one based on tourism, business, tech,TAL0620_F_Rwanda.indd 94 FINAL 4/21/20 8:37 PM